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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965761">Extra Credit?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MLMDarkFiction/pseuds/MLMDarkFiction'>MLMDarkFiction</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Misunderstandings, Teachers Assistant Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:48:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24965761</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MLMDarkFiction/pseuds/MLMDarkFiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After Dorothea finds out Edelgard has a B in Professor Eisner's class, she tells Edelgard to ask for extra credit, knowing the other woman has a crush on the Professors Daughter who's also his teaching assistant.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>137</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Extra Credit?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence interrupts the once cheerful conversation between the four girls. The other three had been waiting on a response, and were instead met with nothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard had, admittedly, stopped paying attention to the conversation at hand as soon as she’d gotten an email about their midterm grades being released. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had to check immediately! </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She expected what she always did. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perfection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her whole life Edelgard had been kept to an impossibly high standard, and things truly hadn’t changed much now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Really, the only change was that it was now Edelgard herself expecting too much of herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And when she checked her grades and saw that everything was not </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect </span>
  </em>
  <span>and that they didn’t meet her regular perfection she was crushed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no way she had made a mistake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With all her studying, and the amount of hard work she put into every assignment, there was no way she’d earned only a B in Professor Eisner’s class. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard had </span>
  <b>never </b>
  <span>gotten a B before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And it was unacceptable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ede?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea finally calls gently, breaking the silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>All three women were capable of understanding that something was wrong, based both on Edelgard’s silence in turn of conversation, and the sour expression that had slowly taken her face as she looked at her phone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just seeing that expression on Edelgard’s face was enough to make Bernadetta nervous by proxy, her leg beginning to bounce under the table in an attempt at self-soothing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” Edelgard says at the realization their lunch time conversation had halted because of her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What were we talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Petra and Dorothea share a look between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly something was bothering the other woman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering her so that they could continue their mundane conversation, Dorothea decides instead to pry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is something wrong?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wrong? Why would something be wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea and Petra share another look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sharp, somewhat rushed tone of Edelgard’s voice was enough to give away that something truly was bothering her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exasperated Dorothea sighs a little, shaking her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well you were looking at your phone like it killed your whole family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A pause. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard simply sighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter what she does or says there’s no way Dorothea is going to let this go, it’s simply not in the other girl's nature not to pry when she thinks there is something wrong with one of her friends. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although an admirable trait, in this specific instance, Edelgard hates it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I got a B in one of my classes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A B?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bernadetta finally speaks up, it’s clear by the confusion in her voice she doesn’t understand the problem. For someone like Bernadetta, someone who doesn’t keep themselves mounted on a pedestal, a grade like a B is no problem. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However the meek girl immediately regrets speaking up at all when she gets a sharp look from Edelgard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Bernadetta a B. I got a B.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sensing the tension, and Bernadetta’s rising anxiety, Petra finally interferes, wrapping an arm around the other woman. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We are going to have to be going now!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard sighs as the other two retreat, leaving her alone at the table with Dorothea. She makes a mental note to apologize to Bernadetta later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well...Which class is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean,” The look on Dorothea’s face, that teasing smile that’s slowly taking over her expression, makes Edelgard regret this entire conversation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it the class with that cute Teacher’s Assistant you like so much?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The silence is all the answer the other needs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She practically squeals in delight, clapping her hands together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh Ede! You stupid Lesbian! No wonder you have a B in that class! You’re too busy staring at her!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I am not- That is- That is ridiculous.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s not ridiculous. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea is right, she knows she’s right, and Edelgard knows she’s right. Still, even if they both know the truth, that doesn’t mean she has to admit to it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well it’s only a midterm.” She points out, knowing there’s no use to get Edelgard to admit she’d slacked off due to her crush on the Professor's daughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you’re saying it doesn’t matter because it’s only a mid-”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Relax.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard’s spiel is cut off by Dorothea gently resting a hand on top of hers, and gently squeezing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All I meant is you still have plenty of time before grades are final to turn that B into an A.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiles gently at the other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dorothea can never entirely understand why Edelgard is the way she is, but she tries her best to be supportive. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And for someone like you that’s easy right?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s barely noticeable, but...Edelgard does relax a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And besides!” Dorothea chirps out, “If you really want it fixed now, you could always ask Byleth for some extra credit!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as if worried Edelgard wouldn’t understand the extra meaning in her statement, Dorthea winks for emphasis. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ignoring the pink that comes to her cheeks in response, she just rolls her eyes at her friend's statement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although the idea wasn’t entirely a bad idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Professor Esiner would never give out extra credit, but his daughter, the TA, might. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was worth asking about if nothing else...even if that means humiliating herself by admitting that she needs the extra credit in the first place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next time Edelgard has Professor Eisner’s class she once again struggles to focus. She is, as usual, distracted. Although for once her distraction has less to do with Byleth’s existence, and more to do with her extra credit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Instead of actually paying attention to the lesson Edelgard is trying to figure out how she can ask Byleth about extra credit without embarrassing herself, or without making herself out to seem like some kind of idiot who’s failing the class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When all the other students start piling out of the classroom, Edelgard stays. For a while it’s just the four of them; Edelgard, Byleth, Jeralt, and Leonie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the longer Edelgard finds herself waiting on Leonie to leave, the angrier she finds herself becoming, until she’s firmly glaring at the redheads back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It really doesn’t seem like she’s going to leave at all, still talking the Professors ear off, and so instead Edelgard makes the decision to take the L on this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all, Dorothea was right when she said there was time before grades finalized. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gathers her things, heads to the door, but then she’s stopped, a hand reaching out to grab her wrist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s a subtle action, gentle but firm, but still enough to cause her to jump, whipping around quickly to be met face to face with Byleth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey-” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Edelgard hopes she doesn’t look stupid, she can already feel the heat rising to her cheeks, lavender eyes flickering from her wrist and the fingers around it, to Byleth’s calm face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You waited all that time,” Byleth says softly. “Did you need something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Getting defensive is an instinct, something that triggers before she’s actually able to stop it. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Need something? Why would I need something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Byleth keeps looking at her, obviously not buying it, expression blank as ever, and it’s enough to make Edelgard crumble apologetically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was...just wondering about extra credit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Extra credit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard curses Byleth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Curses how cute she is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Her thoughts immediately drift from the topic at hand, and to the way Byleth always seems to tilt her head just slightly to the right when expressing confusion. She wonders if the other woman is even aware she does it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Extra credit, yeah…” Edelgard clears her throat, using the moments pause to regain her composure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My grade fell from an A to a B for seemingly no reason, and so I thought…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t sleep with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>What.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard’s composure quickly falls apart. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Although that’s what Dorothea had originally been joking about when she’d told Edelgard to ask about extra credit, she had no intentions of actually-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surely Dorothea hadn’t talked to Byleth about this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then...how else would she have known to say that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t understand what-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s...That’s what happens in movies, right?” Byleth seems just as confused as Edelgard, at least. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone asks for extra credit, and then they have sex?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard is even more perplexed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That sounds like a bad porn plot more than a movie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Does Byleth watch porn?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No! Bad horny brain! Focus on the task at hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was…thinking something more like worksheets.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her entire face has become engulfed in red, and she finds it more difficult to actually look at Byleth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other woman pauses and then turns to call out to her father, “Hey, can Edelgard do extra credit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Great. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now not only did the Professor end up finding out she wanted extra credit, but Leonie overheard as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is becoming worse and worse, more humiliating by the minute. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I...think I am just going to leave.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t realized until she tried leaving again that Byleth hadn’t released her wrist. It’s easy to tug free of her hold now that the surprise of being grabbed has long past. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard quickly makes her way out of the class room and down the hall. She just wants to go back to her dorm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s likely irrational, and she realizes it, but she feels like she was made a fool of both by, and in front of the girl she likes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl who probably is completely unaware she likes her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s trying her best to avoid the heat in her cheeks, and the tears threatening to spill from her eye due to the humiliation of it all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Edelgard! Wait!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Byleth jogs down the hallway, catching up with the other easily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I brought you these.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Worksheets. She’s offering Edelgard a handful of work sheets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly Jeralt must have agreed to the extra credit work. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s relieved if nothing else, at least all this humiliation hadn’t completely been in vain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard takes the worksheets, but notices that Byleth seems to hesitate for a moment. She raises a brow, waiting for the woman to speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s usually not the type to show any form of hesitation, and so she gets Edelgard’s full attention. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about before,” She says softly. “I was trying to make a joke but...I’m bad at jokes.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That is an understatement, but it at least makes Edelgard feel a bit better about the entire situation, knowing that it was just an attempt at humor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Byleth continues. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And...Dorothea told me you like me?” It’s said with just the tiniest bit of emotion in it, a curious, hopeful upturn to the last word. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard decides in that moment she has to kill Dorothea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So...I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Edelgard decides that she will not kill Dorothea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she doesn’t get an immediate answer Byleth panics a bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not like- Not as extra credit! Just like...in general. Just a normal date?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“...I’d like that.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic was a gift for a friend! I hope she (and everyone else reading) enjoys it! I don't think I'll write anything Edelgard-centric again for a while though as I found this fic to be challenging.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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